How to install Apple's iOS 18.2 public beta – and what you'll find inside

iPhone users who want to check out the second round of AI-powered features via Apple Intelligence can now download the new public beta for Apple’s iOS 18.2. Assuming you have a supported iPhone, you’ll be able to try the integrated ChatGPT and a few other AI-inspired tidbits. However, certain features won’t be available immediately.

The latest features are also available in iPadOS 18.2 for iPad and MacOS Sequoia 15.2 for Mac. Though you can install these updates on any compatible device, you’ll need the right one to tap into the Apple Intelligence features. That means an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models, and iPad and Mac models with an M1 chip or later.

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You must also be willing to install a beta OS on your device. iOS 18.2 should be relatively stable at this point, as it’s been in developer beta mode for the past couple of weeks. But you never know what bugs or glitches it may still possess. 

On my end, I updated my iPad Pro and my MacBook Air to the latest beta flavors since those are secondary devices that I don’t use every day. But I’m keeping my iPhone 16 Pro on iOS 18.1 as that’s the core device I depend on for important work and personal activities.

How to install iOS 18.2 beta

Head to Settings on your iPhone or iPad and System Settings on your Mac. Go to General, select Software Update, and then allow the beta update to download and install. 

After you’ve installed the update, you’ll need to sign up for Apple Intelligence if you haven’t already done so. Go to Settings and select Apple Intelligence & Siri. Turn on the switch for Apple Intelligence, wait a few minutes (or longer), and you can then request access to some of the key AI-powered features.

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Some of the new skills, including the Image Playground, Genmoji, and the Image Wand, won’t be available right off the bat. If you try to launch them, you’ll be prompted to request early access. The message tells you that you’ll be notified when the features are ready for you to share your feedback. Apple doesn’t indicate when exactly they might be available, so you’ll be stuck in limbo for now.

For now, you can at least take ChatGPT for a spin. Head to Settings and select Apple Intelligence & Siri. You should find the new extension for ChatGPT, which you can then set up. Sign in to ChatGPT if you have an account, and it will keep track of your conversations. Otherwise, you’re able to use it without an account. The next time you ask Siri for help that it can’t provide, it will ask if you want to use ChatGPT instead.

One other feature you’ll be able to try is Visual Intelligence. However, this one is limited to iPhone 16 users. Here, you can press and hold the Camera Control on the latest iPhone and snap a photo of a landmark or other item. In response, Apple will search on the item, providing details about it.

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Frankly, I have to say I’m disappointed with this update, even for a beta. Apple has already been pushing out its Apple Intelligence features in dribs and drabs. To install a beta specifically to get access to the latest features and then be told you have to wait is frustrating. Hopefully, this won’t be the case when the regular version of iOS 18.2 rolls out in December.